Working at home-how do you see it

"The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds."

Lady Nancy Astor

Fear of the unknown and doubting ones ability to achieve success have stopped many good people from achieving their goals.

If we could see the future, we all would be rich. Our lives would be almost mistake free and we would have very few problems. But, alas, we can't see what will happen down the road. It's this fear of the unknown that has held many people back in many areas of their lives, especially in the area of starting their own business, particularly a work at home business. I realize there are many scams out there but there are also many legitimate ones that you can make money with and the negative mindset has stopped many people from even trying.

Many people see themselves as failing before they even start. They see themselves as not having the time, money, or know-how to make their own business work. They see what they "think" should or will happen. They are also influenced by others who tell them they can't do it. The basis of what they see is a mindset - one that says,"Others can succeed in this but I can't." So you see, people don't start their own work at home businesses not because they don't have the time, money, or know-how. They don't start because they have a negative mindset. They simply believe that it won't work for them. They feel they are cursed to failure, cursed to live week to week, cursed to always work for somebody else, cursed to working 40 or more hours a week, for 40 years, and hope they will have enough money to survive, much less do anything else.

"You can learn anything you need to learn to achieve any goal you can set for yourself; there are no limits."

Brian Tracy

So, how do you change this mindset? Well, it isn't easy. All of our lives, we have been told that, "You can't do that" by friends and family. We have been programmed to think negatively. Reprogram your mind by flushing out the negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones. I am not talking about some magical or mystical formula here. Although volumes of books have been written on the subject, here a couple of simple tips. First, try to surround yourself with positive people and avoid, as best as you can, the negative folks. Begin to read books written by motivational speakers such as Napoleon Hill, Jim Rohn, Dale Carnegie, and others that deal with thinking the right way and sit in on seminars and teleconferences that deal with changing the way you think. There are even work at home opportunities whose sole basis is showing people how to be successful by changing the way they think.

It won't happen overnight but eventually you start to see yourself thinking in a different light. The "I can't" will become "I can." You will stop doubting yourself. You will begin to see that you can do it. You will step out and do things you thought you would never do. In closing, let me share a quote with you from Napoleon Hill:

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

Think about it!

Paying for and getting a refund for your airline ticket

* If you plan to pay in person and with your own bank check, take at least two forms of identification with you like a driver's license, major credit card, or employee I. D. card. Particularly when you purchase tickets far from your home town, airlines, travel agencies and other ticket outlets will want to confirm your identity.

If you paid for your ticket with cash and you have a refundable fare, you can often get an immediate refund from the issuing airline or travel agency. If you paid by personal check, the refund will generally have to be mailed to you.

NOTE: In some cases tickets purchased overseas in foreign currency can only be refunded in that same currency and country, due to foreign government monetary restrictions. Keep this in mind if you are considering buying a ticket in a foreign country.

* When you pay by credit card, your charge account is billed-whether you use your tickets or not. You won't receive credit unless the original unused tickets are returned to the airline. You usually can't get cash refund for a credit card purchase.

* If you buy your tickets with a credit card and then change your flights, the ticket agent may want to credit the amount of the old tickets and issue another set with a second charge to your account. You may want to insist that the value of your old tickets be applied to the new ones, with the difference in price charged or credited to your account.

While this creates a little extra work for the airlines, it prevents double-billing to your charge account.

* There are different rules for different types of airfares. You can purchase discount fares or pay full fare. Check with your airline to find out the rules and cost of different types of fares.

Payment by credit card provides certain protections under federal credit laws. When a refund is due, the airline must forward a credit to your card company within seven business days after receiving a complete refund application. If you paid by credit card for a refundable fare and you have trouble getting a refund that you are due, report this in writing to your credit card company. If you write to them within 60 days from the time that they mailed your first monthly statement showing the charge for the airline ticket, the card company should credit your account even if the airline doesn't. This procedure is particularly useful if your airline ceases operations before your flight.

Build-your-self-esteem-a-starter-guide-to-self-improvement

BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM, A STARTER GUIDE TO SELF IMPROVEMENT

So how do you stay calm, composed and maintain self esteem in a tough environment? Here are some tips you may to consider as a starter guide to self improvement.

Imagine yourself as a Dart Board. Everything and everyone else around you may become Dart Pins, at one point or another. These dart pins will destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even remember. Don’t let them destroy you, or get the best of you. So which dart pins should you avoid?

Dart Pin #1 : Negative Work Environment

Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. Most of the time you get to work too much without getting help from people concerned. Stay out of this, it will ruin your self esteem. Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition that is.

Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers… all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, as well as to your self improvement scheme.

Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment

You can’t be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Changes will make life difficult for awhile, it may cause stress but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. Change will be there forever, we must be susceptible to it.

Dart Pin #4: Past Experience

It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain. But don’t let pain transform itself into fear. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson.

Dart Pin #5: Negative World View

Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.

Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory

The way you are and your behavioral traits is said to be a mixed end product of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (psychic), and your environmental surroundings such as your spouse, the company, the economy or your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father is a failure, it doesn’t mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.

Sometimes, you may want to wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. God wouldn’t come down from heaven and tell you – “George, you may now have the permission to build self esteem and improve your self.”

In life, its hard to stay tough specially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right luggage to bring and armors to use, and pick those that are bullet proof. Life’s options give us arrays of more options. Along the battle, we will get hit and bruised. And wearing a bullet proof armor ideally means ‘self change’. The kind of change which comes from within. Voluntarily. Armor or Self Change changes 3 things: our attitude, our behavior and our way of thinking.

Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. Its like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline. Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination. So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment. A positive way of living will help you build self esteem, your starter guide to self improvement.

Why consider online printing

Have you experience calling a printing company asking for their services and when you do go to their store to give your files you found out that they don’t carry the printing process that you want? Or you called a print shop, asked for a quote and when you were about to have your file printed the amount of printing service changed? This can be quite frustrating especially if you need the file immediately. When this happens to you, you can always consider online print companies.

Maybe you need something in an instant? Or you want to know every process that your print job goes through? Or you want to see how your print job will look like before it’s printed? If your answer is yes then online printing may be a good idea for you to try. Online printing offers several perks that are not available with traditional printing companies. As printing is time consuming especially if your artwork involves multiple colors, online print shops can deliver the job with ease and speed. Additionally, with print shops available 24/7 in the virtual market, there is no hassle waiting in line until your order gets taken, hence, allowing you to have more time in getting the services your project needs.

With this new technology, it is much easier to upload documents for printing. Clearly, you are not only limited to the printers in your area. Hence, you can make sure that your print job is handled by the best qualified to do the job for you. On top of this, you can have your print job delivered right at your doorstep. There is no hassle in driving down to the shop just to get your printed materials. Print jobs are also done professionally having a crisp and sleek look less the glitches that traditional printers often provide. If ever you need your documents in the future, you can always retrieve it with ease and efficiency when you have printed it with online printers.

Nonetheless, when you look for the printing company to do your print job, make sure to do your homework and choose the right printing service for your print project. As much as possible, send your documents to established printers who have years of experience in the business. This way, you can be sure that you print job is in good hands.

Tax deduction meal per diems

Per Diems deduction can be one of the best flight attendant deductions. This deduction depends on which city you layover in. The IRS states that you can either itemize each city you fly to or you may take a standard rate. If you fly domestic, this standard rate can work to your advantage. We are seeing a nice jump in them minimum about in 2006. Previous the base rate was $31 a day for meals and incidentals; in 2006 the base rate has jumped to $39. However keeping track of every city is important as many cities are substantially higher that the base rate, as high as $61. Alaska and Hawaii can be as high as $91. We have attached both 2005 and 2006 U. S. rates. Also realize that changes in per diem rates are from October to October, thus you need to keep track of locations times. A few seasonal cities even have seasonal per diem rates.

If you fly any international trips, it is well worth itemizing out your layover cities. The standard rate for International is $46 per day where as the daily rate for a common city such as London is $100 per day. Both Alaska and Hawaii are included on international rates. When figuring out your Per Diem, you use Meals and Incidental rates. For instance in Anchorage Alaska you take the Local Meal rate of $71 plus the Incidental rate of $18 for an M&I of $89. International rates do not have the same October to October schedule of change.

If you just flew domestic, the IRS will allow us to use an average rate based on the number of days you flew. Turn arounds are not included in this deduction. Once you calculate the total amount you are allowed, the total non-taxable per diem that you were paid by your airline is subtracted.

Flight attendants get an additional break here. For the average work in America than can only deduct 50% of their meal expense. In 2005 Flight Attendants can deduct 70% of their actual expense or per diems, minus any nontaxable payments your employer paid you. This amount will climb to 80% by 2008

For Businesses, Self Employed

You can deduct 50 percent of ordinary and necessary business expenses for entertaining a client, customer or employee if it is directly related to your business or associated with your business. It is essential to keep excellent records for business entertainment expenses. For example, if you take someone out for a meal, be sure to document the date, the amount, the place the meal took place, the business purpose of the meal, and the business relationship. If you hold a party, you should keep a copy of the guest list, noting your respective business relationships.

IRS rules for business-related meals, entertainment and gifts allow you substantial opportunities to convert personal expenses into deductions.

How would you like to get a discount of 14% to nearly 20% on your meals and entertainment expenses? If your meals and entertainment expenses were deductible, a $100 meal would cost only $86.25 if you were in the 27% tax bracket.

Tax laws allow you to deduct half of your meals and entertainment expenses if they are business-related. Any expenses for food and drink provided under circumstances considered favorable to a business discussion, or when a business discussion is held, can be deducted. If you are self-employed, you can deduct them as part of your adjustments to income.

Entertaining Business Clients

By far, the most commonly used aspect of this deduction relates to entertainment and food, however. The custom of entertaining business clients or potential business clients with food and drink in restaurants and hotels converts into deductible expenses. When you go out with friends or relatives for a meal or drink, do you ever pick up the check? If they are or could be potential clients or customers for your business, and you discussed business with them, then that check would be deductible.

Even if you do not talk business at the meal, it will be deductible if the meal follows or precedes a business discussion. Recognize that no actual business need come from the meeting so long as business was discussed. Be careful, if you meet with some one regularly and exchange picking up the tab, you can face a tremendous penalty. If caught by the Internal Revenue Service, the deduction will be disallowed as a sham and subject you to fraud penalties. However, do not hesitate to deduct legitimate expenses.

Not only can you deduct meals, but you can also deduct business entertainment expenses. Money spent for business entertainment, amusement or recreation can be deducted if you can show the expense:

• Directly preceded or followed a substantial business discussion;

Or;

• Directly related to the active conduct of your trade or business.

• Examples of potentially deductible expenses include entertaining guests at nightclubs, theaters, sports games, or even vacation trips.

Do not waste much energy building up deductible entertainment expenses unless you are prepared to do it right. This area is always a target of audits and is one of the most abused of all expenses. Make sure that each receipt (or notation in your appointment book or business diary) has ALL FIVE of the following components:

• The amount of each expenditure;

• The date of the expenditure;

• The name, address or location, and type of expenditure, such as dinner or theater, if the information is not apparent in the name or designation of the place;

• The reason for the expenditure or the business benefit derived or expected to be gained. While this sounds complicated, it is really easy.

• Information about the person or persons entertained, including the name, title or other designation sufficient to establish the business relationship to you.

You must have a receipt or other documentary evidence for meals or entertainment expenses of $75 or more. Currently, for expenditures of less than $75, you do not need a receipt. In a recent audit, when asked for "all" of my receipts. I brought out only those over $75 and my records for the rest. The auditor had to take what I gave him as proof. Fully acceptable substantiation would include a diary or written planner in which you enter the above descriptive information. I put this information on my business software records. Even in an audit, the entries are complete substantiation under the law.

While most meals or entertainment expenses can only be deducted for half of the cost, certain meal and entertainment expenses remain fully deductible:

• Expenses reimbursed under an "accountable plan;"

• Expenses incurred for recreational or social activities provided by the employer for the benefit of its employees. These might be the annual company picnic or holiday party;

• Expenses for goods, services and facilities made available to the general public, such as promotional tickets or customer samples;

• Expenses related to the ticket package costs for sporting events arranged primarily for the purpose of charitable fund-raising.

The deductions for meals and entertainment allow you substantial opportunities to convert your personal expenditures into business deductions. Do not fail to claim them and do not fail to keep them because of lack of adequate substantiation. In the 30.5% tax bracket, $100 worth of entertainment expenses costs you $84.75. No matter how much money you're making, it would be worth $15.25 in tax savings to spend 30 seconds noting the name of your business clients and the business discussion on the back of your ticket stub or receipt.

How to choose bathroom accessories and wall mirrors

How to Choose Bathroom Accessories and Wall Mirrors

Mirrors can make a bathroom look great. Mirrors are fabulous bathroom accessories that offset a room. When choosing designer mirrors however, you want to keep in mind that technology has advanced, so that now you have a wide array of choices.

How do I choose?

You have the cabin selections, Chвteau, Charlotte, Cosmopolitan, Dйcor, James, Loft, Marina, Meridian, Monterey, Serenity, Studio, Vogue, and Tiara selections to choose from. When choosing the mirrors its best to go online so that you can have a visual of what you are getting.

The cabin collections offer you the choice of choosing a wide array of bathroom accessories. You can choose from towel rings, bars, soap dishes, dispensers, robe hooks, tumbler holders, etc when choosing the cabin collections.

The Cabin collections are designed by the well-known Smedbo, which introduced the modern styles. You can choose a wide selection of bath accessories to offset the mirror.

How do I choose finishes?

You have the option of choosing Brush Nickel, Brush Chrome, or Chrome Polished. Again, going online will help you by giving you a visual of what the mirrors look like.

Cabin collections are manufactured in Sweden, which the brass quality is great. The brass sets a European style, which is suitable for luxury baths, master baths, guest baths, and so on. The brass is made up of forged materials, yet the epoxy resin gives the finishing a look of flawlessness. The advantage of purchasing Smedbo’s designs is that you have a lifetime guarantee.

How do I choose formation?

You have the option again of choosing the Brush Nickel, Chrome Polished, or the Brush Chrome. In addition, if you prefer rectangular, you may want to consider the 19 inch x 28 inch dйcor mirror.

Why should I consider Chateau?

Chateau gives you better options of choosing bathroom accessories. Sure, some of the bathroom accessories are limited, such as dispensers, yet you have a wider selection of bathroom accessories to offset your mirror.

How do I choose designs?

Chateau created the Chrome Polished, Brush Nickel, and Polished Brass also. If you are considering a distinctive pattern for your bathroom, Chateau is your choice. Chateau gives you the option of choosing luxurious mirrors that are complimented by robe hooks, towel bars, holders, and so forth. The designs will give you a regal affect.

The creator of Chateau is also Smedbo. You can choose dйcor designs or European style mirrors.

How large are the mirrors?

The round dйcor mirrors are mounted on pivotal with a diameter of 22 inches. The oval shaped bevel dйcor is also mounted on pivotal and has a diameter of 19 inches by 24 inches.

How do I choose bathroom accessories to compliment the mirror?

If you purchase one of the Chateaus, you will see a list of accessories also, especially if you shop online. Online you have the option of choosing matching soap dish, glass holder, towel bar/rings, including the swing arm. You have choices of brush holder, bathroom tissue holder, glass vanity shelf, and so on.

How do I choose from the James Collections?

Go online to view the images. Online you will find the H713 Model, which is the dйcor Edged Beveled Mirror. You will need to purchase the light fixture separately. James makes up the designs created by Luigi Boni. The mirrors are made of brass, which is not forged like the Cabin and Chateau models. The attachments include wall mounts, dual adjustable holes, etc.

How the James mirror is installed.

You attach the wall mount, screws, expansion bolt(s), etc with a hexagon tool, i. e. wrench.

Want nice cd dvd packaging

You guys always want to keep you favorite CDs & DVDs top notch. You never want your dear CDs & DVDs getting scratched or damaged, and thus you often look for the strong cd – dvd packaging to keep you CDs & DVDs immaculate and intact. Your cd – dvd packaging cases are generally designed to provide strong protection to your CDs & DVDs.

Your cd – dvd packaging cases are often made of rigid or semi-rigid material for keeping your CDs & DVDs safe. Your cd – dvd packaging cases protect your CDs & DVDs from scratches and other types of exposure damages. You can find a myriad of cd – dvd packaging cases and boxes on the market. Your cd – dvd packaging cases may include single disc and multi disc CD – DVD cases, and you can also find standard width and slim profile cd – dvd packaging cases.

CD – DVD packaging sleeves offer nice protection to your DVDs. Your cd – dvd packaging sleeves may include paper sleeves, plastic sleeves and tyvec sleeves. Additionally, you may also find CD – DVD sleeves available with or without windows and flaps.

Jewel cases are the cd – dvd packaging cases, generally measuring 142 mm Ч 125 mm Ч 10 mm. These cd – dvd packaging cases are usually made of injection-molded polystyrene. You can also use jewel cd – dvd packaging cases for the packaging of BDs (Blu Ray Discs), and HD DVDs.

Digipacks are the cd – dvd packaging cases made of cardboards. Actually, digipack cd – dvd packaging cases are the jewel-case-style plastic cd packaging trays glued inside a folding cardboard cases. Your digipacks offer nice protection to your CDs and DVDs, and are nice for keeping your CD movies and DVD movies.

Jakeboxes are patented cd & dvd packaging systems from Sweden. Your CDs & DVDs, in Jakebox cd – dvd packaging, are held in a folded 'claw' that opens up and presents your discs in wonderful fashion. Your cd – dvd packaging Jakeboxes are generally made of paper or carton, with or without pocket for a booklet.

CD – DVD mailers are virtually designed to meet all of your cd – dvd packaging needs. Your CD – DVD mailers may include single disc and multi disc CD – DVD mailers. You can also find paperboard and cardboard CD & DVD mailers.

Plastic cases and clamshells offer nice cd – dvd packaging solutions. You can find rounded c-shells and square plastic cases for your CDs & DVDs. You can also find plastic CD & DVD cases for use in 3 ring binders.

Keep Cases are the most common type of dvd packaging systems. Slightly taller than Jewel cases, DVD Keep Cases are made of much softer, less brittle plastic – polypropylene rather than polystyrene. DVD Keep Cases are durable and do not break easily. DVD Keep Cases come can usually hold one or two discs. DVD slimmer keep cases are called "Slim-paks" or "Thinpaks."

Spindles or, less formally, cake boxes are often used for blank cd – dvd packaging. These cd – dvd packaging cases are round, clear plastic cups that have central posts to hold stacks of discs. These cylindrical cd – dvd packaging boxes are designed for bulk cd – dvd packaging, anywhere from ten up to 100 discs.

Besides, you can also find CD/ DVD Trigger Cases, J-card cases, Clamshell, Mini CD/ DVD cardboard sleeve, CD/ DVD mailer, Digital Booklet for CDs and DVDs, Mini CD Clear Slick, Double and Single Cases, Double Cardboard CD wallet, Multi Case DVDs, Bizcard CD/ DVD cardboard sleeve, Premium Tray Packaging, and several other single & bulk cd – dvd packaging cases & boxes. You can find your cd – dvd packaging cases online.